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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. wake — a trail
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. rock — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. pop — to visit
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pop — soda
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com